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The 5th edition of the project ended last Friday, July 25. , an international educational project that aims to provide students with an active learning experience and the acquisition of skills related to the preservation of the oceans. In the project phase, there were 32 participants from several nationalities.

After three weeks of intense work, the winners of ULISSES 2025 have been announced, distinguished for their innovative and creative proposal to tackle an increasingly worrying global environmental problem: "Nurdle Pollution".

The winning project was developed and presented by the Sirens team, made up of David Woellner (, Germany), Francisca dos Santos Miranda (���Ǵ���, Portugal), Olga Guinart Gutiérrez (, Spain), Salvatore Tartaglia (, Italy), Vera Haerle ( - KTH, Sweeden) and Weronika Łoś (, Poland). The team was accompanied by mentors Duarte Candeias and Nathaly Pilligua.

Through extensive research in the Ross Sea in Antarctica, the team identified a critical problem: nurdles are often stored and transported improperly. To resolve this issue, they proposed an innovative system that uses net bags made of Dyneema - a waterproof and ultra-resistant material adaptable to conventional storage bags. These robust mesh bags include zippers for practical storage and are interconnected via a space-saving folding system, compatible with transport pallets. The first bag is connected to a pressure-activated float, while the last has a built-in GPS locator. In the event of a spill, the float activates immediately, causing the mesh bags to float and unfold, covering the maximum possible area. At the same time, the GPS provides real-time location data, enabling rapid monitoring and recovery of spilled nurdles. This system significantly improves both spill prevention and marine pollution response.

Congratulations, Sirens!

ULisboa is already preparing the 6th edition of the project, for which applications are due between November and December 2025.